The Long Road in Trying to Lower TA

[Hszwill]

Hello,

One pool for sale! (Just kidding) Boy is this thing becoming the money pit. I sound like a fair weather friend, as the 3 previous seasons were great! Well, I still have a cloudy pool, and no matter how much I brush the pool, by the time I get back around to where I started, there is another powdery white layer on the steps to be brushed off-again. I can't figure out what this white stuff is. Could it be calcium from when it was added many weeks ago? Could it be DE not staying in the filter? Those are the only 2 white powdery products that I've added. I think the calcium is supposed to be a tad higher, but there is no way I am going to add any more white powdery products until the pool is clear.

Part of me wonders if this is not a water chemistry issue, but maybe an equipment issue instead (which would mean I am on the wrong thread). For example, the skimmers only pull water into them nicely for about 5 minutes, and then they just seem to stagnate. If I turn off the main drain the skimmers don't stagnate. Once I reopen the main drain for circulation the skimmers will go for about 5 minutes. If I turn the equipment off and on again, the skimmers will give me another 5 good minutes.

I have been using skimmer socks all season, and when I clean them they are always caked with grey powdery matter. I find the same stuff in the bag of the Polaris. Unfortunately, the wheels don't turn automatically at all on it, so it barely moves around the pool by way of the water traveling through it from the hose it is attached to.

Here are today's numbers:
FC 17
CC <.5
TC <17.5
pH 7.3
TA 100
CH 180
CYA 30

Thanks for previous advice and any you still might have!
Shannon

[CarlD]

Sounds more like lots of pollen to me. My skimmer sock gets caked all the time in the spring, and then it's a yellow paste, which, as the season goes on, becomes a green-gray paste, but not as thick. Are there a lot of evergreen trees around?

[Watermom]

I think you might be right that maybe this is not a chemistry problem but maybe a filter problem?? I'm going to ask a couple of people to take a look at this thread. Somebody will get back to you.

EDIT -- Carl we were apparently posting at the same time. The fact that it is grayish rather than yellowish is what makes me wonder if her DE filter isn't working properly???

[PoolDoc]

Hi Shannon;

Have you opened your DE filter, cleaned the grids, and inspected them for damage and holes?

The gray goo, plus the cloudiness, sounds an awful lot like a leaking DE filter that's allowing DE plus dirt to return to your pool.

PoolDoc

[Hszwill]

Ben was right-on with his prediction. Thank you Lisa for seeking help for me.

Fixed
• Took Jandy DE filter apart and discovered that there as indeed a 2 inch whole at the top because the piece that fits into the manifold was crushed and down inside the filter panel. In fact, the whole panel was crushed to pieces.
• Spent a good amount of time rinsing each panel individually. Boy were they all nasty.
• Ordered the part immediately, but realized when trying to put it into the slot where the damaged panel had been that it was too big.
• Ordered the partial panel immediately, and it fit perfectly. Within a week the pool water was no longer cloudy, and the skimmer socks weren't building up with cement looking goo. The new panel is shockingly white next to all the old panels.
• Water is perfectly balanced.

I still have DE problems, but I have decided to move to the Pool Equipment & Operations section for that.

Thank you,
Shannon

[Watermom]

You're welcome. Somebody will be able to help you get this straightened out. Good luck.